choke up
phrasal verb
choked up; choking up; chokes up
1
: to have trouble talking because of crying or strong emotion
He chokes up whenever he tries to talk about the accident.
2
baseball
: to move one's hands to a higher position on a baseball bat
—often + on
He choked up on the bat and took a short swing.
Examples of choke up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Claire Leon, an operating room technician in Valley Stream, got choked up at the thought of fellow Haitians being forced to return.
—
CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The assistant manager choked up during his testimony.
—Dan Morse The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
But the eighth-year veteran got choked up the most talking about Justin Herbert.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Davis took the stage at the Beverly Hilton to honor her costar, getting choked up multiple times during her speech.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choke up
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CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The assistant manager choked up during his testimony.
—Dan Morse The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
But the eighth-year veteran got choked up the most talking about Justin Herbert.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Davis took the stage at the Beverly Hilton to honor her costar, getting choked up multiple times during her speech.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for choke up
Cite this Entry
“Choke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choke%20up. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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